Charles hall



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ANIMAL TRAP. o. 295,634; Patented Mar. 25, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Grinch.

CHARLES HALL, OF OHANGEWATER, NET/V. JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF,

JACOB HILL, JR, AND VICTOR OASTNER,

OF SAME PLACE.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,634, dated March 25, 1884.

Application filed March 15, 1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, OHARLEs HALL, of Changewater, in the county of Warren and State of New Jersey, have invented anewand Improved Animal-Trap, of which the follow ing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved trap for decapitating a number of animals successively.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of my improved trap. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of the releasing mechanism.

A powerful coil-spring,A, is attached to and surrounds a shaft, A, journaled in a board or frame, B,and a frame, B,attached to the same, which shaft A is squared at one end, so as to adaptit to receive a key for winding up the spring. On one end of the said shaft A a ratchet-wheel, O, is rigidly mounted, and adjoining the ratchet-wheel an elbow-le ver, D, is loosely mounted on the said shaft,on which elbow-lever a pawl, E, is pivoted, which is pressed againstthe teeth of the ratchet-wheel G by a spring, E. The bent end of a rod, F, is journaled in bearings G, secured to the baseplate H in such a manner that the said rod F can swing in avertical plane parallel with the plane of the coil-spring. The rod F passes loosely through the jaws of a U-shaped piece, J, pivoted to the end of the arm D of the elbow-lever D, sothat the said U-shaped piece J can turn 011 the end of the said arm. To the free end of the rod F a knife or cutter, K, is attached, the cutting-edge of which is preferably serrated. On the base Hacross-shaped piece, L, is pivoted by a central pivot,around which the said piece can turn, which piece L is so located that the end of the arm D of the elbow-lever D can rest against one of the arms of the cross. A lever, M, provided with an arm, M, at an inclination to the lever, is piv- .5o oted at its bend to the base H in such a manner that the arms of the cross can rest against a complete revolution of the shaft A.

the end of the arm M. To the free end of the lever a plate, N, and two upwardly-projecting prongs, O, for holding thebait, are secured, which bait-holding end of the lever M is preferably contained in a separate compartment, P, of the trap. A lever, Q, is pivoted on the base H in such a manner that it can come in contact with the outer edge of the lever M. That end of the lever Q extending toward the cross L is bent outward-that is, it is bent in the direction from the lever M, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The operation is as follows: The spring is coiled by means ofa key, the plate N pressed against the rear of the compartment P, and

. the bait is placed on the hooks 0. hen in this position the arm D rests against one arm of the cross L,and is pressed against the same by the tension of the spring, and the adjoining arm of the cross L rests against the end of the arm M, and is pressed against the same. If a mouse nibbles at the bait, itpulls the free end of the lever M in the direction of the arrow a, and swings the inner end of the arm M in the direction of the arrow b sufficiently to release the end of that arm of the cross resting against the end of the arm M. As the cross is released, the spring can swing the arm D of the lever D in the direction of the arrow (2, and the inclination of thespring will cause Thereby the arm D of the lever D will swing the rod F, carrying the knife K downward with great force, and the knife will decapitate the animal nibbling at the bait, as the rod F is of such length that when it descends the knife K passes into the compartment P. As the arm D passes by the bent end of the lever Q it presses the said bent end in the direction of the arrow f, Fig. 3, and thereby causes the said lever Q to press the lever M in the in verse direction of the arrow a, so that the next arm of the cross L will strike against the end of the arm M and be arrested. By this time the shaft A has completed its revolution, and the end of the arm D of the lever D again rests against an arm of the cross L, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The trap will then be set for a second animal, and so on the trap continues decapitating animals and setting itself until the spring A has been uncoiled.

The spring can be made of any size, so that it will deeapitate a greater or less number of animals before it is uncoiled.

The trap can be made of different sizes for mice, rats, opossums, foxes, and even for large animals-such as wolves and jaekals.

In place of using a spring, A, a weight may be used which acts on the shaft A by means of a chain or cord.

Having thus fully described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In an animal-trap, the con1bination,with the spring A, of the shaft A, the elbow-lever D, the U-shaped piece J the rod F, the knife K, the cross L, the lever M, provided with a bent arm, M, and devices for holding the bait on the free end of the lever M, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an animal-trap, the cornbination,with

the spring A,of the shaft A, the ratchet-wh eel O, the pawl E, the elbow-lever D, the pivoted U-shaped piece J, the swinging rod F, the knife K, the cross L, the lever M, provided with an arm, M, and the bent lever Q, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES HALL.

Witnesses:

J .V. CARTER, \VM. V. P ALL, 

